Side loader mast traversing mechanism

Abstract

A traversing mechanism for the mast of a side loader vehicle having a chassis including front and rear wheeled body parts interconnected by a backbone structure with a recess extending transversely of the vehicle between the body parts and having mast guide means along the sides of the recess, the traversing mechanism comprising mast supporting means moveable along the guide means, a prime mover operatively connected to a pair of idler rollers to translate them transversely of the vehicle, freely rotatable rollers journalled to the chassis at one side of the recess one at each end of the path of mast travel, a flexible member anchored at its ends to the chassis and passing in succession over one of the idler rollers, both freely rotatable rollers, and the other idler roller, the flexible member having a reach secured to the mast supporting means, whereby movement of the idler rollers by the prime mover will cause the flexible member to translate the mast supporting means along the guides. One of the freely rotatable rollers is fast in rotation with a shaft rotatably mounted with respect to the chassis and extending across the recess out of the path of travel of the mast, a roller on the opposite side of the recess is fast on the shaft, another freely rotatable roller is journalled on the chassis remote from the shaft, and a second flexible member is provided and secured to the mast supporting means and passes over the two said freely rotatable rollers.

I claim: 
     
       1. For a side loader vehicle having chassis including front and rear wheeled body parts interconnected by a backbone structure with a recess extending transversely of the chassis between said body parts and having mast guide means along the sides of said recess, a mast traverse mechanism comprising mast supporting means moveable along said guide means, a shaft rotatably mounted with respect to said chassis and extending across said recess out of said path of travel of said mast supporting means, a roller fast on said shaft for rotation therewith at each side of said recess, at each side of said recess at the opposite end of said path to said shaft a roller freely rotatably journalled with respect to said chassis, a prime mover mounted on said chassis and operatively connected to a pair of idler rollers to translate them transversely of said vehicle alongside said recess, a flexible member on one side of said recess anchored at its ends to said chassis and passing in succession over one of said idler rollers, both of said freely rotatable rollers, and the other of said idler rollers, said flexible member having a reach secured to said mast supporting means and at the other side of said recess a second flexible member on the other side of said recess passing round said roller on said shaft and said freely rotatable roller on said other side of said recess and having a reach secured to said mast supporting means, whereby movement of said idler rollers by said prime mover causes said flexible members to translate said mast supporting means at both sides of said recess along said guide. 
     
     
       2. A traversing mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said mast supporting means comprises a trolley device moveable along said guides and has means for connecting each of said flexible members to said trolley device. 
     
     
       3. A traversing mechanism according to claim 1 each of said flexible members is a chain. 
     
     
       4. A traversing mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said prime mover is an hydraulic ram and said idler rollers are rotatably mounted on a member fast with the piston rod of said ram.